Switch mechanism.



J. B. WIARD.

SWITCH MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, 1906.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Inventor:

John B.Wiard. sfik (H635.

J. B. WIARD.

SWITCH MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APILZB, 19 06 ,2 Fig. 3.

WiKnesses: I W

Wig I lnvenifor- John BWiarql. 19%

(may.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.TOHN B. WIARD, OF LYNN,MASSAGHUSETTS,- ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY,

. A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

- SWITCH LIEGHANISM.

Specification 01 Letters Patent.

Patented. Oct. 27, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN B. WIARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain' new and useful Improvements in Switch Mechanisms, of which the following is-a specification.

The present invention-has for its object to improve switches for controlling electric circuits and in its several aspects comprises certain novel features of construction in a switch and in switch operating means to be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings there is illustrated a preferred form of my invention, Figure 1 showing in cross-section a switch and its operating means; Fig. 2 showing the switch inside elevation and its-casing in cross-section; Figs. 3 and 4 illustrating themovable member of the switch,-Fi .4 being a view taken on line 4 4, of Fig. 3; 1g. 5 being a detail; and Fig. 6 showing in elevation a switch and a modified form of operating mechanism.

The switch illustrated is particularly adapted for use as a reversing switch for electric motors and the operating means may be employe'd to advantage with the reversing switch shown or with reversing switches controlling loom motors, although both the switch and operating mechanism are suitable for other uses.

The switch comprises two sets of {resilient contact fingers 1 and 2 mounted on opposite sides-of a support 3, together with .a rocker 4 provided with sets of contacts 5 and 6 adapted to cooperate respectively with the contacts 1 and 2 for the purpose of giving forward or reverse motor connections or too en circuit the motor, depending upon whet er the rocker occupies a forward running position, a reverse running position, or the .ofl position. The rocker consists of a bracket 7 secured to a shaft 8 and having a pair of rods Qand secured to the arms thereof in arallelism with each other and with the sha t 8. Surrounding each of the rods 9 and 10 isa sleeve-of insulating'material 11. The contact members are made in the form of short tubes slippedv over the insulating sleeves and separated from each other and from the bracket by means of insulatin washers 12. The movable switch member t erefore con sists of a few simple parts which are readily the parts are securely held in aliiemeit. is a box or casing surroundiiig the switch rotation of the motor.

assembled into a rigid and durable whole. The shaft 8 of the rocker is journaled at one end in a base-plate 13 and at its other end is a bracket 14 projecting from the base-plate. The member 3 carrying the fixed contact-fingers is also secured to the bracket 14, so that 15 mecharism and secured to the base 13. This box may be filled with oil in the usual manner.

, Where a switch of the character described is used to control the motor which operates a loo'm, the switch should be connected to the loom handle, since the automatic devices for stopping the loom when threads break or a shuttle runs em ty 0 crates on the loom handle and-there ore w lien this device operates it should of course serve to sto the. motor. The loom handle operates on y in one direction from the off position, namely, to produce forward rotation andtherefore can operate the reversing switch to the forward running position. It is sometimes necessary, however, to reverse the loom in order to take out. two or three threads, and in such case means must be provided for enabling the operator to move the switch to reverse osition independently of the loom handle. or this purpose the switch handle 16', which is secured to an extension of the shaft 8 passing through the base 13, is connected by means of a rod 17 to the loom handle in such a manner that the operation of the loom handle in the normal way starts the motor for forward rotation or stopsthe motor; and the handle 16 may be moved inde cndcntly of the rod 17 and of the loom han le to produce reverse The rod 17 passes loosely through an openin 18in a stud 19 which is secured in one of 51c openings 20 in the handle 16. A pair of collars 21 and 22 are adjustably secured u on the rod on opposite sides of the stu 19, and between these collars and the stud are arranged springs 23 and 24, respectively. These s rings are placed under an initial tension so that when the rod 17 is moved back and forth the handle 16 moves with it ando erates the switch between the off and forward running positions. l/Vhen it is desired to reverse the motor, after the switch has been returned to its off position, the operator may grasp the handle 16 and pull it against the tension of the spring 24v until conturned to the 0H position.

the vibration of the machine.

- time.

tacts 2 and 6 enga e. As long as the operator maintains a hoId upon the handle 16, the motor will remain reversed, but as soon as he lets 0, the switch is returned to the off ositlon throu h the action of the s ring 24. he switch wifi usually be mounte directly upon the loom frame and will therefore be subjected to severe vibration. Particular attention must therefore be aid to the construction of the switch in or or that the con tacts may remain closed notwithstanding By so arranging the parts that the contacts 1 and 5 come into engagement shortly before the loom handle has reached its running position, the spring 24 is caused to be compressed and therefore exerts a constant pressure upon the contacts to hold them positively in operative relation to each other. 25 indicates the o crating handle which may be the loom hand e and when. this handle is in its running position a notch 26 therein engages with a shoulder 27 and holds the loom handle and rod 17 against backward movement. When the motor is geared directly to the loom it sometimes happens that the momentum of the armature, which is revolving at a comparatively high speed, will cause the loom to run over when the handle is brought to off position.

retarding action in stopping, by causing the motor to be momentarily reversed at that This may be accomplished by means of the arrangement shown in Fig. 6. The movable member of the switch is provided with a device havin a high inertia, as, for example, there may be secured to the handle 16 or shaft 8 an arm 28 carrying a weight 29. The spring corresponding to the spring 23 is omitted and the collar 21 is moved into engagement with the switch handle. When the rod 17 is moved to the right the switch is ppplrated in the manner previously described.

en the 100m handle is thrown to the off position the switch handle is also brou ht toward the off osition but, instead o stopping in such position, it continues its motion,

against the tension of the spring 24, due to the energy stored in the weight 29, until the switch is in reverse position. The switch of course remains only momentarily in this position and then, through the action ofthe weight 29 or the spring 24, or both, depending upon the position in which the mechanism is placed, the switch handle will be re- In the meantime, however, the motor has been reversed for a sufiicient period to cause the momentum of the armature to be overcome and the machine to be brought to rest.

' While I have described in detail preferred embodiments of the present invention, I do not desire to be limited to the particular construction and arrangements of parts shown I have therefore devised means for automatically producing a exce t as specifically pointed out in the appen ed claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A switch having two sets of fixed con tacts, a rocker having two sets of contacts arranged to engage with the fixed contacts, a handle for moving said rocker to bring one set of movable contacts into engagement with one set of-fixed contacts, a spring between said handle and said rocker, means for locking said handle in such position that the spring is placed under tension and holds the rocker yieldingly in position, and means for moving said rocker against the tension of the spring to bring the second set of contacts on the rocker into engagement with the corresponding set of fixed contacts.

2. A reversing switch comprising two sets of resilient contact fingers, and a rocker member having two sets of tubular contact members arranged with their axes parallel to the axis of the rocking member.

3. A reversing switch comprising two sets of fixed contact fingers, a rocker member, a pair of rods on said rocker member arranged parallel to the axis of said member, a lurality of tubular contacts mounted en to end on each of said rods-and insulated from each other, and sleeves of insulating material between said tubular contacts and said r0 4. In a reversing switch, two sets of fixed contacts, a rocker member cooperating therewith and comprising a bracket, a pair of parallel rods mounted on said bracket, a plurality of tubular contact members arran ed end to end on each of said rods and insu ated from each other and from each rod,

means for holding said rocker member in one' of its operative positions, and means for momentarily throwing said rocker member to its other position when said holding means is released.

5. In a reversin contacts, a movabI ating therewith and comprising a bracket provided with journals, a pair of rods mounted on said bracket and arranged parallel to said 'ournals, a plurality of tubular contact switch, two sets of fixed mem ers arranged end to end on each of said rods and insulated from each other and from said rods, means for holding said movable member in one of its operative positions, and means for throwing said member to its other operative position when said holding means is released. v,

6. In combination, a reversing switch, 'a device having a large inertia connected to said switch, and operating mechanism for said switch, the parts being so constructed i and arranged that under normal operation of the switch from one running position to the off position of the operating mechanism the switch is brought into the other running e switch member cooperthe movable member from one of itsopera tive positions to the OE position, and a sprin between said handle and the movable mem er arranged-to permit the inertia device to operate the movable member from the oil position to the other operative position. l

8. In combination, a reversing switch having fixed and movable members, a device having a large inertia connected with said movable member; a handle for operating the movable member from one of its 0 erative positions to the ofl osition, an a spring betweensaid handle an said member,

said spring being so proportioned that upon the action of the handle to bring the switch into the o position the switch is carried to the other operative position by the inertia device independently of the handle and is returned to the ofi position by the springi 9. In combination, a reversing switc having fixed and movable members, a weighted arm connected to the movable member, a handle for actuating sai d mov-. able member from one running position to the ofi position, and a spring arranged between said handle and the movable memher to permit the momentum of the weighted arm to carr the switch to the other running position in ependentl of the handle. -In witness whereo I have hereunto set my hand this twenty sixth day of A ril, 1906. i

. JOHN B. IARD. Witnesses:

JOHN A. McMANUs, Jr., HENRAY' O. WESTENDARP. 

